“I feel like I’m on the verge of awakening to something.”
Hearing my words, my father couldn’t immediately object.
“Please help me,” I urged.
“Um… .”
As a swordsman himself, my father understood that enlightenment wasn’t something that happened just because you willed it.
Still, in the end, he sighed in resignation and raised the white flag.
“Hah… Okay, I understand. You have to push forward when the moment calls for it. If you stop halfway, you might lose your chance at enlightenment. But I’ll step in if I see it getting dangerous. Got it?”
“Yes. Thank you, Dad.”
“Alright then, let’s head out of the gate first.”
“Here’s the key.”
I handed my father the gate key.
Soon, we exited through the dimensional gate.
After a brief blackout, we found ourselves back in front of the artificial gate, facing the way we had come in.
“I’ll return the key and get a new one. Do you want to rest here in the meantime?”
“No, I’ll come with you.”
The room we were in was set up for hunters to rest after clearing a gate, but I didn’t have the luxury of taking it easy.
If I wanted to awaken, I needed to keep myself cornered.
Resisting the temptation to rest, I followed my father.
We arrived at the warehouse where the gate keys were kept.
“Branch Manager, you’re back already? You still had time left… .”
“Haha, something came up,” my father replied, scratching the back of his head.
The receptionist who had lent us the key earlier tilted her head in confusion but soon seemed to grasp the situation.
“Oh, I see… . I guess it’s too early for real combat. But don’t worry. It’s impressive enough that your son’s even attempting this at his age.”
“I think you’re misunderstanding something… .” my father began, but she waved him off.
“It’s okay, I understand. Just try harder next time. Fighting, kid!”
She struck a cheerful pose and smiled at me.
Her assumption was clear—she thought I had failed to clear the gate.
“I should correct that,” I thought to myself.
“I did clear the gate,” I said calmly.
“Huh?”
“He’s right,” my father confirmed.
“… How old is your son again?”
“He’s 12. Fifth grade,” my father replied casually.
“… A fifth-grader cleared a gate?”
“It’s not unusual for kids from prestigious families. It happens sometimes.”
The receptionist’s lips moved wordlessly as if she were processing this new information.
My father decided to move things along.
“So, about borrowing another key…”
“Normally, you’d need to let us know a day in advance,” the receptionist started.
“Oh, is that a problem?”
“… But since it’s you, Manager, I’ll make an exception.”
“Thank you. I’ll treat the team to a company dinner to show my appreciation.”
“Instead of dinner, maybe a bonus… ?”
“Anyway,” my father interrupted, “can we get a key to a gate that’s a bit more challenging?”
He handed her the box containing the previous gate key.
Before she could respond, I chimed in, “Make it a gray-level gate.”
“No, white is fine,” my father countered, pushing me aside gently.
“… .”
I sighed but decided to let it go.
“Please wait a moment,” the receptionist said, disappearing into the warehouse.
She returned shortly with a new box.
“This one is slightly more challenging than the last. It’s still white-level, but the conquest conditions are inside the box.”
“Good. This will do,” my father said after reviewing the contents.
“Thank you. Let’s go, Gyeonwoo.”
As we walked back, I voiced my thoughts again.
“Wouldn’t gray-level have been fine? I think I could handle a second-rank monster.”
“Son,” my father said firmly.
“Yes?”
“Do you want your mom to kill me? If she finds out what we’re doing, I’ll be dead meat.”
“Then if you’re going to get in trouble anyway… .”
“Are you my son?”
“Carrots,” I muttered, referencing Mongsil, our rabbit.
My father chuckled but grew serious again.
“Rank 2 is still too early for you. You might manage, but it’s too risky. Start with white-level and work your way up. Not all white-level gates are the same.”
I nodded, realizing he was right.
On the way to the artificial gate, we encountered a clan member holding a staff.
“Oh, Hong-cheol!” my father called out.
“Branch Manager? Who’s this with you?”
“My son. He’s about to tackle another gate, and I thought it’d be good to have a supporter with him just in case.”
“Of course. I’d be happy to help. Hello, young man!”
“… Hello.”
Hong-cheol was a supporter specializing in healing and buffs, and my father clearly wanted an extra layer of protection.
After a quick introduction, we proceeded to the gate.
“This time, we’re going straight in. Be careful—monsters might attack as soon as you enter,” my father warned.
“Yes, I understand.”
He inserted the key into the artificial gate, and we stepped through.
[Entered the gate.]
[White: Pink Crystal Cave III]
I looked around.
The surroundings were familiar—a cave of blue rock walls with pink crystals growing here and there.
But this time, something was different.
“… !”
A sudden electric current shot through my body.
My Evasion Instinct activated, and I moved instinctively.
Thump!
An arrow embedded itself in the ground where I had just been standing.
Raising my head, I spotted goblins hiding among the shadows and behind the crystals.
Kik, kik…
Before I could count them, they began descending from above, weapons ready.
[The conditions for the conquest are as follows:]
[Slay the monsters.]
[Goblin (Rank. 01) x 4]
[Goblin Inspector (Rank. 01) x 7]
[Goblin Archer (Rank. 01) x 3]
[Goblin Wizard (Rank. 01) x 1]
A total of 15 enemies.
And this time, they weren’t just regular goblins—they had roles.
‘This is insane.’
For a moment, I wondered if I should call it quits.
But as I watched the goblins scatter and prepare to attack, I knew there was no turning back.
‘My Evasion Instinct is working overtime.’
The gift urged me to run, to escape, to survive.
But even though I had created this situation to force an awakening, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret.
‘I asked for this… but now that I’m here, it’s terrifying.’
I gritted my teeth as the goblins closed in.
It was time to fight.
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